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BOOKNOTES
M Y T H O LO GY R E A D E R S G U I D E
in the
classroom
Stories of a world filled with gods and goddesses
and imaginary people and places are called myths.
Written to entertain and enlighten, all myths:
• Lack identifiable authors
QUIVER
Stephanie Spinner
Grades 7 up
Alfred A. Knopf hardcover
0-375-81489-2
• Exist in multiple versions
• Are transmitted by oral tradition
• Seek to explain the origins of the world, human
society, and culture
The gods and goddesses of mythology rule the
lives and control the fate of mortals; the gods
expect devotion and punish mortals who don’t
pay them the proper respect. To anger a god or
goddess is sure to bring death and destruction,
but to have a god or goddess show you favor is
sure to bring you joy and love. The gods
themselves have no code of ethics to follow, and
therefore, do whatever they please to whomever
they please.
pre-reading
GODDESS OF YESTERDAY
Caroline B. Cooney
Grades 7 up
Delacorte Press hardcover
0-385-72945-6
activity
In order for students to better understand the
gods and goddesses in these books, have them
read the “Author’s Note” and “About the Gods” in
Quiver; the “Afterword” in Goddess of Yesterday;
and the “Genealogy of the Gods in this Tale,” “Cast
of Characters,” and “Afterword” in The Great God
Pan. Then discuss with your students the
implications the information might have on the
story. Draw a genealogy chart on the board tracing
the gods and goddesses your students read about
in the selections you have assigned.
THE GREAT GOD PAN
Donna Jo Napoli
Grades 5 up
Wendy Lamb Books hardcover
0-385-32777-3
Visit Teachers @ Random at www.randomhouse.com/teachers
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Quiver
by Stephanie Spinner
“Fiercely original and beautifully written,
Quiver is a book for all readers who love
Greek mythology.”
about the author
Stephanie Spinner is the bestselling author of
many books for young readers, including
Aliens for Breakfast (with Jonathan Etra) and
Expiration Date: Never (with Terry Bisson).
—Mary Pope Osborne, author of Favorite Greek Myths
and Tales from the Odyssey
about the book
King Iasus has summoned his daughter Atalanta with a simple, chilling command:
marry and produce an heir. Fleet-footed Atalanta, determined not to betray Artemis,
goddess of the hunt and mistress of the wild, counters with a grim proposal. She will
marry the first man to outrun her in a footrace, and those she defeats must die. It is
Atalanta’s desperate hope that no man will be foolish enough to meet her challenge.
questions for
group discussion
1. Atalanta wants no romantic entanglements
because she has taken a vow of chastity in honor
of Artemis. (p. 6) Why would a vow of chastity
bring honor to Artemis? When Atalanta broke her
vow by marrying Hippomenes, did she dishonor
Artemis? Why or why not?
2. When Jason asks Castor if he could buy one of
his bows, which he has heard are perfect, Castor
refuses because “he had strong opinions about
perfection. He said it was hard to find, harder to
achieve, but hardest of all to forget.” (p. 29) What
did Castor mean? Can you give an example of
perfection—or striving for perfection—that fits
this statement?
3. Artemis sends a wild boar to plague King Oeneus
for failing to sacrifice to her, and as a result, the
king and queen die and all their heirs are killed
or turned into guinea hens. (pp. 10 & 27,
respectively) On page 14, Ancaeus claims, “No
goddess can protect the boar from this,” (meaning
his two-edged ax). Atalanta is aghast that he
would insult Artemis, goddess of the hunt, and is
not surprised when he pays for his reckless
comment with his life. The punishments King
Oeneus and Ancaeus suffer do not seem to fit the
crime. What does this tell you about the power
and lack of mercy the gods feel toward mortals?
What present-day sins, misjudgments, or actions
occur where the punishment seems extreme?
4. The running commentary between the gods and
goddesses about the events as they occur gives
the reader insight into their thinking. How does
this commentary affect your attitude toward the
mortals? Toward the gods and goddesses? What
“gods and goddesses” are present today that rule
over our lives? What would they say about us?
5. When Atalanta sets forth conditions for her
suitors to meet, she feels sure that the threat of
death will keep all suitors away. However, she
learns that the threat of death is alluring to some,
and many come to win her hand. Honoring her
conditions means death for many men, and
Castor has taught her that honor is keeping one’s
word. Can you think of another way Atalanta
could have honored her word without causing
death? What other consequence could she have
set that would not have meant death?
6. The punishment meted out by Zeus to Atalanta
and Hippomenes for desecrating sacred
ground seems cruel, but is it? Is there any way
that Atalanta and her mate benefit from what
Zeus does?
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Goddess of Yesterday
by Caroline B. Cooney
“Characters from The Iliad, The Odyssey, and much of
Greek tragedy make appearances in Anaxandra’s tale,
one that is as vivid as her red-gold hair. Teen readers will
be mesmerized.”—Starred, Kirkus Reviews
about the
about the author
Caroline B. Cooney is the bestselling
author of many young adult novels.
They include The Ransom of Mercy
Carter, Tune in Anytime, Burning Up,
The Face on the Milk Carton, and
Both Sides of Time.
book
Anaxandra, pretending to be Princess Callisto, is taken in by Menelaus, King of Sparta.
Helen of Sparta, who later becomes Helen of Troy, does not believe that the child is a
princess. Anaxandra is safe until the war between Sparta and Troy begins. Can Anaxandra
find the courage to reinvent herself once again, appease the gods, and save herself?
questions for
group discussion
1. “Anaxandra was just the right name for me,”
Anaxandra declares. (p. 1) She often examines the
names of people and places and their meanings.
Think about the importance of names in this novel.
How does Pleis’ broken pronunciation “Calli Sto”
symbolize Anaxandra’s story? Why is it important
that Anaxandra’s birth island had no name?
2. Consider the merchant’s glass jar in Gythion. “I
could see through it,” Anaxandra thinks in
amazement. “The merchant dropped a shiny red
bead into the jar and I could still see the bead. . . .
It contained, but did not hide.” (p. 56) How does
this observation parallel Anaxandra’s life? The
merchant says that glass “[breaks] more easily
than hearts.” (p. 57) What is symbolic about the
moment the glass breaks? (p. 80)
3. Anaxandra says, “I will die as Anaxandra,” when
she fears Helen’s wrath on the journey to Troy.
(p. 132) Similarly, when she befriends Princess
Andromache, she becomes “dizzy with the desire
to tell her the truth.” (p. 177) Why, at these
particular moments, does Anaxandra’s true
identity become so important to her?
4. While telling Euneus stories of her past, Anaxandra
blends truths in order to tell him about the puppy
she had lost on her birth island: “In this version, I
had lost Seaweed at Siphnos.” (p. 196) How does
this help Anaxandra preserve pieces of truth?
5. Anaxandra is not the only character whose
identity is vulnerable. Discuss the enslaved former
queen Aethra, especially in the context of this
moment: “The squire bowed, as if Aethra was still
a queen. And she was.” (p. 158) Also, discuss the
implications of Helen’s rejection of old loyalties to
Menelaus and Sparta when she fiercely proclaims
herself “Helen of Troy.” (p. 125) How do Helen’s
and Aethra’s changes attest to the resilience of
human identity?
6. Helen commands attention; her power is
irrefutable. Just by smiling, she causes everyone
to yearn “to do or say something to make that
smile return.” (p. 100) Think about the many
other instances that prove her vast power, which
seems to derive from her beauty, disposition, and
half-god birthright. Compare this power to
examples of male power in this novel.
7. Cassandra, a prisoner in her own land, can see
past, present, and future. “And yet it was
Cassandra the people feared.” (p. 209) Discuss
why her omniscience and outspoken truths incite
perhaps more fear than Helen’s treachery.
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The Great God Pan
by Donna Jo Napoli
about the author
Donna Jo Napoli is the author of Crazy
Jack, The Magic Circle, Stones in Water,
Daughter of Venice, and many other books,
and is the chairperson of the linguistics
department at Swarthmore College.
about the book
Pan, both goat and god, is a creature of mystery and delight. Pan is captivated by the
young Princess Iphigenia, even though the gods warn him against loving a mortal. When
the goddess Artemis demands that Iphigenia’s father sacrifice his first-born daughter, Pan
gives up immortality to save Iphigenia.
questions for
group discussion
1. Pan watches the scorpions mate, and when he
witnesses the female scorpion eating the male, he
knows it is a warning from the muses that love can
destroy. He thinks, “I could never be destroyed by
love.” (p. 17) In view of what happens to Pan, why
is this statement ironic?
2. After Pan meets Iphigenia, he goes to Mount
Olympus to find Aphrodite and see his father. But
instead he finds the muses telling stories to Apollo.
They turn their attention to Pan and discuss with
him the disadvantages of human love. Apollo says,
“Humans are fickle.” (p. 43) What does Apollo
mean by this? Based on your experience, do you
agree with his statement? Why or why not?
3. Pan says, “Iphigenia hid nothing from me. That’s
what I value most in her.” (p. 45) Pan refers to her
gift of honesty as “twisted” and her gift of making
him see how others see him as “painful but
precious.” Why would he use these words to
describe her gifts, and if they are gifts, why did he
describe them in such negative terms? How can
gifts we have in today’s world be an obstacle?
Consider beauty, intelligence, and athleticism.
4. When Pan reveals to Iphigenia that he can read
animal eyes, she replies, “Humans are not so
different.” (p. 65) What did she mean by her remark,
and why was Pan so delighted by the comment?
5. Why does Pan lose his respect for Apollo? What
does he intend to do about it?
6. Since Pan met Iphigenia, his father Hermes has
been avoiding him, according to Silenus. (p. 88)
Pan begins to face the reality of this because
Hermes doesn’t show up to cheer him on when he
challenges Apollo. (p. 96) Then, when Pan sees
Hermes again, Hermes explains a provision of the
curse Pan never knew about. (p. 106) Why did
Hermes wait so long to tell Pan about this
provision? Why does he tell him at this point in
Pan’s life?
7. When Apollo and Pan meet for the music
challenge, everyone there knows Apollo has the
upper hand because of his position with the other
gods and goddesses. But Pan faces the challenge
with courage, and he plays beautifully. When he is
announced the winner, Apollo gives the judge,
King Midas, donkey ears. King Midas then
changes the winner to Apollo. (p. 97) What does
the injustice of this challenge do to Pan? How does
he finally overcome the devastating effects?
For a complete list of mythology titles,
visit Teachers @ Random:
www.randomhouse.com/teachers
Prepared by Susan Geye, Library Media Specialist, Crowley Ninth Grade Campus, Crowley, TX.
Random House Children’s Books • School and Library Marketing • 1745 Broadway • New York, NY 10019 • BN566 • 11/02